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Dominions 3 - New Game (Beginners esp)

So the game came out on Desura and i finally picked it up. I'd love to get a game started so if you're interested post below and we'll sort something out.Not having played before suggestions welcome.So far i'm thinking:

Me and a friend (GSU Dyslexic Organiser) have been looking for some people to play with for a while. We have only played like 2 games vs eachother that we didnt finish so both pretty new to the game. He likes to play Lanka, while I quite like Vanhiem or Abysia. Our preference would be Early Age, as has a bit more magic and cool units, though obviously happy to compromise if others have strong opinions on matter.

One thing I would suggest though is playing with the Conceptual Balance Mod. Its basically standard in MP and deals with things like clam spam and some other silly exploity things you get with vanillla. Again we are flexable, though CBM seems like a good way to go.

I'd throw my hat in the ring as well, I've finished 2 games (losing both miserable and am in the process of losing 2 more so I guess i'm more of a immediate so bench me if you fill up with newer people!

I've played one game and am currently in a second, but I could go for another if it's not too small or fast paced. Kind of hard to get into the diplomacy side of things when there are only three teams.

I'm not so sure on the mods front simply because a lot of strategy you can pick up from LPs that actually go into the details of such suddenly ceases to apply. Summons, gem economies, hammers, boosters and even basic troops all change significantly. Unfortunately the only in-depth LPs that go into the modded game tend to be of mixed quality and assume a certain amount of knowledge of the game or that the reader is uninterested in the mechanics or economy behind decisions. This is why the Mrs Buttersworth Arco LP is so good, even though there are huge multi-perspective ones out there.

For a complete newbie game which seems to be the gist I'd advise going vanilla, I'd also recommend allowing forums posts for questions about thing in general rather then just in game so the newer ones aren't at a disadavantage

I like the look of the CBM mod but for the first game(s) my preference is for vanilla just to see what i like and discover the game... So no mods for this one...

I also suggest EA game so get in your country preference below and i'll work out the hosting and game set up. If anyone has suggestions about maps that would be helpful but i'l be looking around to get an idea what will work.

Just wanted to labour the point (so sorry) in favour of CBM.From what ive read Vanilla D3 wasnt really balanced for multiplayer, so its much easier for a new player to make really fatal mistakes. Apparently if you are not making clams every turn you are you are going to lose.

CBM is a multiplayer balance mod, rather than a content mod. Only major changes to content are with some of the pretenders and heroes (some nations had terrible heros, some pretenders were not sensibly costed) Its alot more fun to get a hero you can actually use!

Otherwise its a lot of tweaks and balances for various nations, designed to make whats fun about the game work better, but what works in vanilla as a rule works in CBM. e.g. There are still other ways of making gems still in the game.

It increases the range of viable nations players can use, and lessons the chance that a new player is going to be wiped out because the picked a totally rubbish nation. In vanilla some of them are just laughably bad and any right thinking player would only use 3/4.

Given that most of current Dom3 games are played with CBM, it would seem preferable also to be learning the version of the game that is being currently played most often, rather than vanilla (which could be kinda unfair) first, then CBM again later.

Anywho, sorry to be all up in your grilz and such. Just wanted to make the case, and totally not going to go on about it anymore.

Just wanted to labour the point (so sorry) in favour of CBM.From what ive read Vanilla D3 wasnt really balanced for multiplayer, so its much easier for a new player to make really fatal mistakes. Apparently if you are not making clams every turn you are you are going to lose.

CBM is a multiplayer balance mod, rather than a content mod. Only major changes to content are with some of the pretenders and heroes (some nations had terrible heros, some pretenders were not sensibly costed) Its alot more fun to get a hero you can actually use!

Otherwise its a lot of tweaks and balances for various nations, designed to make whats fun about the game work better, but what works in vanilla as a rule works in CBM. e.g. There are still other ways of making gems still in the game.

It increases the range of viable nations players can use, and lessons the chance that a new player is going to be wiped out because the picked a totally rubbish nation. In vanilla some of them are just laughably bad and any right thinking player would only use 3/4.

Given that most of current Dom3 games are played with CBM, it would seem preferable also to be learning the version of the game that is being currently played most often, rather than vanilla (which could be kinda unfair) first, then CBM again later.

Anywho, sorry to be all up in your grilz and such. Just wanted to make the case, and totally not going to go on about it anymore.

Hm Vanilla is not that bad at all, thinks like the clams are for advanced late game tactics likewise with the nations all of them can be used effectively some are stronger but you need to be a advanced player to really take advantage of the same.

I'd vote for Vanilla personally for a newbie game. Main reason I'd give is for a first game people are likely going to want to reference wikas and guides etc. Doing that and then finding the thing you trying to build towards/stratigising around doesn't work before it's been moved into a different research tree, different research level or removed entirely is going to throw people off alot more then a vet player tricking his way into the game and taking advantage of beginners mistakes. (And we all already know that out of the 9 players their either complete beginning or have played at most 4 on-going MPs (I think that would be me)

But like Prester says I'm happy to go with everyone else's decision I just think it will be counter-productive for a introductory game. I would also highly recommend that once you've picked a nation you run a quick single player game with them using you intended pretender so you've got a general idea of how they work (Like whether your gold or resource intensive) and can plan your scales/magic paths accordingly

Definitely run as many practice games as you can. The first year is really important (to make sure you have an expansion plan that works) and there is a lot that needs to be accounted for. You should ideally be aiming for a second fort finished and a third started by the end of the first 12-15 turns, as well as one province per turn average (or at least know if nothing goes wrong you can manage that).

Besides that you ought to have general goals for midgame and late game you are aiming for and a sense of how to achieve them. These will then be ignored when you are being rushed by horrible frozen giants in turn 6 but its nice to look at your plans and think "damn, I really woulda been someone if those giants had never banished me to Tartarus". So it's also good to have a plan to deal with your more dangerous neighbors in case of early wars.